The 370 sq-km Lake Mburo National Park is an increasingly common stop on the safari circuit since it’s the only place in southern Uganda to see Zebra. Its habitat comprises of moist acacia savanna, taller mixed woodland, aquatic habitat including lakes and papyrus swamps, grassland and rocky ridges. Animals are most abundant in the south in the dry season (as this is where the permanent water is) and the northeast in the wet season. You can take a boat trip at (8am,10am,noon,2pm,4pm and 5:30pm) on the lake Mburo, the largest of five lakes in the park, for something a bit more up close and personal with the hippos, crocodiles and water birds. Furthermore, some excellent news is that a family of lions has returned to the park after being absent for more than a decade.

SIGHTS AND ACTIVITIES

Game drives and Nature Walks are the most excellent options that will make one of your unforgettable experiences as your Encounters will be close and capturing the best shots since animals here are not so shy unlike other parks in the country. Commonly recorded mammals include Olive Baboon, Vervet Monkey, Yellow-winged Bat, and Side-striped Jackal, Dwarf and Banded Mongooses, Burchells Zebra, Hippopotamus, Common Warthog, Buffalo, Bushbuck, Oribi, Deffasa Waterbuck and Bohor Reedbuck. Large herds of Eland are frequently and this is also the only park in Uganda that has Impala. Lake Mburo is a home to no fewer than 3 species of otter( African clawless, Swamp and Spot-necked) and surrounding papyrus swamp support the elusive Sitatunga, Senegal Galago, Zorilla, Blotched Genet, White Tailed Mongoose and wild cat may be seen on a night drive out of Rwonyo camp. Some of the shy and rare and therefore less likely to be encountered species include Red-legged sun and striped ground squirrels, Crested Porcupine, Striped Weasel, Servaline Genet, Ichneumon, Slender and Marsh Mongooses, Spotted Hyena, African Civet, Serval, Leopard, Giant Pangolin, Aardvark, Giant Hog, Bush Pig and Bush Duikers.

Bird Watching

Most of the park is dominated by tall grass savanna dotted with Acacia and Euphorbia trees. Dense thorn thickets occur along the watercourses. Common and conspicuous birds in this habitat include Crested Francolin, Emerald-spotted wood Dove, Brown parrot, Bare-faced Go-away bird, Green wood-hoopoe, Blue-naped mouse bird, Lilac-Breasted Roller, Common Scimitar bill, African Grey Hornbill, Spot-flanked Barbet, Nubian Woodpecker, Trilling Cisticola, Yellow breasted Apalis, Northern black Tit, Chin spot Batis, Greater Blue eared Starling and Marico Sunbird. Most of these should be encountered whilst driving towards Rwonyo camp, the park headquarters, from either of the two entrance gates. The more open grassland north of camp, particularly along the Zebra track, is worth exploring for species such as Coqui Francolin, Red-necked Spurfowl, Black Bellied Bustard, Temminck’s Courser, African wattled Plover, Rufous –Naped and Flappet Larks, Rufous-chested swallow, Yellow throated long claw and Southern Red Bishop. The first clearing on the lake side is good spot to look for some of the papyrus specials, lesser and Greater Swamp Warbler, white winged Warbler and Papyrus Gonolek.

The elusive Shoebill may also be observed but is irregular in the park. Spotlighting along the entrance road may produce interesting Nocturnal species such as; African scoops owl, Verreaux’s eagle-Owl and Fiery-necked, white-tailed and Pennant-winged Nightjars. Other species include Blue-headed Coucal, the scarce Papyrus Yellow warbler and Northern Brown throated weaver, on the Lake African Fin foot, African Darter, Hamerkop, African water Rail, spur-winged plover, Pied and malachite kingfishers, and Yellow-throated leaf love.